The present invention relates to a tape recorder using tape cassettes for recording and reproducing information.
Portable tape recorders are now in wide use, and there are still continuing demands for smaller portable, especially hand-held, tape recorders. To meet such demands, various efforts have been made to make portable tape recorders smaller in size, as closely to the size of the tape cassette itself as possible.
The tape cassettes can be set into place in various directions dependent on the tape recorders used. However, the magnetic head mechanism in the tape recorders is normally constructed such that the magnetic head is movable into contact with a magnetic tape through an access opening in the cassette case in response to recording or playback operation. Accordingly, the interval or stroke that the magnetic head is movable back and forth should be reserved in the portable cassette tape recorder. This dimensional limitation has been an obstacle to attempts to render the tape recorder smaller in size, and has generally been considered unchallengeable.